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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Nizoral Anti-Dandruff Shampoo versus Head & Shoulders Dry Scalp Care Hair & Scalp Conditioner .

Published on January 29, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 5 ingredients in common

Free From

They both do not contain any parabens

What's Inside

They both contain harsh alcohols, common allergens and fragrances

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Shampoo American Brand United States
Conditioner American Brand United States

Shampoo

Detergent or soap for cleansing the hair.

Conditioner

Moisturizing agents for hair.

Price

Shop

Buy Anti-Dandruff Shampoo

Starts at $19.95
Shop

Buy Dry Scalp Care Hair & Scalp Conditioner

Starts at $8.97

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

AHA

Benefits

Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores
Scar Healing
Brightening

Concerns

Drying (3)
May Worsen Oily Skin
Acne Trigger
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (4)
Eczema (2)

Benefits

Concerns

Drying (2)
May Worsen Oily Skin
Acne Trigger
Irritating
Rosacea (3)
Eczema (4)
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Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Perfuming, Preservative, Solvent
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.

Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.

Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.

Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.

Other types of astringent alcohols include:

According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.

Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.

Learn more about Benzyl Alcohol

Nizoral Anti-Dandruff Shampoo contains this as ingredient number 1.

Head & Shoulders Dry Scalp Care Hair & Scalp Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 10.

2
What it does: Buffering, Masking
Community Rating: Disliked

Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).

If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.

As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Learn more about Citric Acid

Nizoral Anti-Dandruff Shampoo contains this as ingredient number 4.

Head & Shoulders Dry Scalp Care Hair & Scalp Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 11.

3
What it does: Masking, Perfuming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give aroma to products. Parfum, or fragrance, can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "Parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

In the US, the alternative name for parfum is 'fragrance'. The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance. One example is Calendula flower extract. Essential oil ingredients still impart a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, it can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Products use parfum often to give products a scent or cover up smells of different ingredients.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

Learn more about Parfum

Nizoral Anti-Dandruff Shampoo contains this as ingredient number 6.

Head & Shoulders Dry Scalp Care Hair & Scalp Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 8.

4
What it does: Masking
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Chances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt.

This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.

You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.

There is much debate on whether this ingredient is comedogenic. The short answer - comedogenic ratings don't tell the whole story. Learn more about comegodenic ratings here.

The concensus about this ingredient causing acne seems to be divided. Research is needed to understand if this ingredient does cause acne.

Scrubs may use salt as the primary exfoliating ingredient.

Learn more about Sodium Chloride

Nizoral Anti-Dandruff Shampoo contains this as ingredient number 11.

Head & Shoulders Dry Scalp Care Hair & Scalp Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 12.

5
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Nizoral Anti-Dandruff Shampoo contains this as ingredient number 16.

Head & Shoulders Dry Scalp Care Hair & Scalp Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 2.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

19% are loved or liked
6% have mixed ratings
50% are disliked or very disliked
25% have no rating yet
20% are loved or liked
0% have mixed ratings
80% are disliked or very disliked
0% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Nizoral Anti-Dandruff Shampoo 16 ingredients

4.1 /5
from 7 reviews
Dearchoyce's Avatar'
Sep 22, 2023

This product was the start of my skincare routine. It helped to remove all the fungal acne I was experiencing on my forehead and cheeks. After this I was able to start my journey on finding products just to maintain my skin. Loved it!

This product was the start of my skincare routine. It helped to remove all the fungal acne I was experiencing on my forehead and cheeks. After this I was able to start my journey on finding products just to maintain my skin. Loved it!

BubbIes's Avatar'
Mar 6, 2024

This can be a lifesaver for those with fungal acne, but I personally use it for my scalp/hair only. It doesn’t have great ingredients and I find it to be pretty drying and irritating. It IS effective though.

This can be a lifesaver for those with fungal acne, but I personally use it for my scalp/hair only. It doesn’t have great ingredients and I find it to be pretty drying and irritating. It IS effective though.

Head & Shoulders Dry Scalp Care Hair & Scalp Conditioner 15 ingredients

Dry Scalp Care Hair & Scalp Conditioner hasn't been rated yet.
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Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Nizoral Anti-Dandruff Shampoo.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Head & Shoulders Dry Scalp Care Hair & Scalp Conditioner.

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